Hanger assembly and a hanger formed of such an assembly
Patent 7404502 Issued on July 29, 2008. Estimated Expiration Date: 
February 5, 2024. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
February 5, 2024. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesDetachable bar for garment hanger Clothes hanger Ganging hook for garment hangers Portable clothes hanger rack Hook socket for ganging hangers Hanger with snap-on adjustable clips Toy doll and hanger assembly Garment hanger system D394753 Hanger with ganging element InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 10771343 filed on 02/05/2004US Classes:223/85GARMENT HANGERSExaminersPrimary: Hurley, Shaun RAttorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassA41D 27/22DescriptionThis invention relates to a hanger assembly, in particular a hangerassembly for supporting garments. The present invention also relates to a method of forming a hanger from such a hanger assembly.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are in existence a number of ganging hangers, which allow a hanger to be supported by and suspended from another hanger. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,098 issued to Bredeweg et al. discloses a garment hanger with a hook and a dependent loop vertically aligned with the hook. The legs forming the legs are joined at their lower ends and are offset from eachother in a normal to the face of the hanger whereby the hook of a second hanger can be passed through the loop and support the second hanger while confined between and parallel to the front and back faces of the hanger body supporting it. U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,321 issued to Willinger et al. discloses a garment hanger having a hanger body, a hook member, and a hook receiving element for suspending from the garment hanger a second garment hanger. The hook receiving element isdisposed in vertical alignment with the hook member and includes a frame member and base member, the frame member being provided with openings to define first and second intersecting passageways for selectively receiving the hanging means of the secondgarment hanger. The second garment hanger may thus be suspended in a plane parallel to the plane of the hanger body or perpendicular thereto. U.S. Design Pat. No. 394,753 issued to Zuckerman discloses a design for a ganging assembly of ganging hanger. U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,658 issued to Olk et al. discloses a coordinate loop garment comprising a molded plastic hanger body having a hook receiving element depending from and molded integrally with the molded plastic body at a lower portionthereof. The hook receiving loop element includes a passageway for selectively receiving and suspending therefrom a hook of a second ganged garment hanger which is at least partially enclosed along its length by the left, right, top and bottom surfaces. In these prior art garment hangers, the hook receiving element is formed integrally with the body of the hanger, with the following shortcomings: 1. As the body of the hanger is intended to support a garment, which may be rather heavy, thematerial with which the body is made should be of a high rigidity. On the other hand, the hook receiving element should be of less rigidity so as to give some yield, and thus to prevent breakage, when the hook of a second hanger clashes with it when itis attempted to suspend the second hanger from the original hanger. This difference in rigidity cannot be provided for in the prior art garment hangers, as such existing garment hangers are molded integrally of a single material. 2. As the garmenthangers are made of a single material, even if they are of different sizes, they are all of the colour and general outlook. It is very difficult for a user, or even the manufacturer, to differentiate between garments of different sizes. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a hanger assembly, a hanger formed of such a hanger assembly, and a method of forming such a hanger, in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated, or at least to provide a usefulalternative to the public. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hanger in which the body and the hook receiving element are made of different materials, each of a different rigidity. It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a hanger in which the body and the hook receiving element are of different colours, so as to allow visual differentiation of sizes and other characteristics. Such and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing discussion. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hanger assembly including a body member with a first engagement member; a hook member joined at an upper portion of said body member; and a hook receiving member with asecond engagement member adapted to engage with said first engagement member. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hanger formed of engagement of a body member and a hook receiving member of a hanger assembly, said hanger assembly including a body member with a first engagement member,a hook member joined at an upper portion of said body member, and a hook receiving member with a second engagement member adapted to engage with said first engagement member. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a hanger, including the steps of (a) providing a body member with a first engagement member; (b) providing a hook member at an upper portion of said bodymember; (c) providing a hook receiving member with a second engagement member adapted to engage with said first engagement member; and (d) engaging said first and second engagement members to thereby engage said body member with said hook receivingmember. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows two hangers according to the present invention engaged with each other; FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the part marked B shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3A is an enlarged front view of part of the body of the hanger and the hook receiving element shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 3A; FIG. 4A is a front view of the hook receiving element shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4B is a side view of the hook receiving element shown in FIG. 4A; and FIG. 4C is a top view of the hook receiving element shown in FIG. 4A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Two hangers, generally designated as 10 and 10A respectively, according to the present invention are shown in FIG. 1 as one being suspended from the other. The hanger 10A has a main body 12A, to an upper part of which is joined a hook 14A. Engaged with the lower part of the main body 12A is a hook receiving element 16A. Similarly, the hanger 10 includes a main body 12, to an upper part of which is joined a hook 14. Shown as being separate from the main body 12 of the hanger 10 is a hook receiving element 16, which is adapted to be engaged with a male portion 18 extending from a lower part of the main body 12 of the hanger 10, in a manner and for a purposeto be further discussed below. It can also be seen in FIG. 1 that the hook 14 of the hanger 10 is received within a passageway (to be further discussed below) of the hook receiving element 16A of the hanger 10A, for suspending the hanger 10 from thehanger 10A. As shown in FIG. 2, the hook receiving element 16 has a generally rectangular aperture 22, allowing insertion of a tongue 24 of the male portion 18. The male portion 18 has a generally rectangular stopper 26 for limiting the extent to which thetongue 24 may extend into the interior of the hook receiving element 16. When the tongue 24 is received into the hook receiving element 16, they snap-fit with each other, so that they cannot be separated from each other without breaking either the maleportion 18 or the hook receiving element 16. The hook receiving element 16 also has a passageway 28 through which a hook of another hanger may pass through. A hanger may thus be formed by engaging the male portion 18 of the body 12 with the hookreceiving element 16. FIGS. 3A and 3B show in more detail the shape and configuration of the male portion 18 and the hook receiving element 16 of the hanger 10. It can also be seen that at the upper end of the body 12 is a generally cylindrical recess 30 forreceiving and engagement with the hook 14. As to FIGS. 4A to 4C, such show various views of the hook receiving element 16. Whereas the hook receiving element 16 is made of polyethylene, the body 12 is made of polystyrene, which is more rigid than polyethylene. By way of such an arrangement, while the body 12 is of sufficient rigidity to support various garments, thehook receiving element 16 can give some yield, and thus to prevent breakage, when the hook of a second hanger clashes with it when it is attempted to suspend the second hanger from the hanger 10. It is also possible to form the body 12 and the hook receiving element 16 in different colours. For example, the body 12 may be transparent or black, whereas the hook receiving element 16 may be red, blue, or green, each signifying a differentsize, e.g. small, medium or large. This would allow for easy identification of the size of the hangers 10. Additionally, it is possible to provide a hanger assembly with a hanger 10 and a plurality of hook receiving elements 16, e.g. each with the same size of aperture 22, but with a different overall size, so that the same hanger 10 may be fittedwith a different hook receiving element for suspending a second hanger with a different size of hook 14. The manufacturer may provide the finished products to the customers in either assembled or dissembled state, according to the wish of the customers. The customers are given more flexibility in that the they can decide whether to provide thehanger 10 with the hook receiving element 16 after delivery of the products. Such will also reduce the molding cost, as the manufacturer only has to have two mold sets, one for the main body 12 and one for the hook receiving element 16, which isrelatively small. Otherwise, as in the prior art situation, the manufacturer will still have to provide two mold sets, one for a hanger with a hook receiving element, and one for a hanger with no receiving element. It should be understood that the above only illustrates an example whereby the present invention may be carried out, and that various modifications and/or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. Itshould also be understood that various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described here in the context of a single embodiment, may be provided separately or in any appropriate sub-combinations. |
